Best known for the successful underground album "From The Barrio With
Love", the Darkroom Familia returns with a highly anticipated movie &
soundtrack "Penitentiary Chances", After releasing one of the first
hardcore Raza rap albums, The Darkroom Familia began getting fan mail from
all parts of the country. Chicanos from everywhere were sending letters
wanting to know more about the Darkroom artists. For the first time,
Latinos were releasing songs for the Raza (the Latino race) and not just
for certain territories. Barrio kids could relate to the songs whether
they lived in the San Francisco Mission district or the dangerous Barrios
of Phoenix and East L.A. Chicano artists have always had a reputation for
rapping to oldies or salsa beats only. While the Chicano artist was
trying to make songs for his people, the Chicano youth were out buying
CD's from E-40, Too Short, Ice Cube and other black artists. The Darkroom
Familia members didn't want to do the same as others. They didn't want to
have salsa, or oldies or the typical Chicano music backing up their
lyrics. They wanted beats that would make anybody nod their head whether
Black, White, Asian or Chicano. It was a perfect match-
Chicano lyrics talking about the experiences of being brown with Universal
drum tracks backing it up - beats any rapper, whether Black or Brown,
would want to flow to. The Chicano experience is similar to the Black
experience, but the gang culture goes farther back and the drug culture
goes deep. Chicano gangs are the oldest gangs with their own culture
instilled in the youth. Some Chicano gangs have up to 6 generations in
them. It is not uncommon for the Grandfather, Father and Son to belong to
the same Barrio and gang. When Chicano rappers write lyrics, they must be
more careful than the Black artists for the reason to the Mexican Mafia's
and Familia's strong hold of every Barrio across California. Deep rooted
in the Chicano culture is respect, survival and not backing out of
anything even if it means death. With Mexico now being the biggest drug
importer/exporter come the reality in the Darkroom Familia's drug dealing
lyrics. It's a culture where drugs are an everyday example of making a
living. Chicanos everywhere have uncles, cousins or even parents that are
major drug pushers backed up by the Mexican Cartels to sell drugs to all
the people of the United States. Mexican parents listen to Mexican
groups, or Norteno bands such as Los Tigres Del Norte or Los Tucanes,
which glorifies the drug dealing lifestyle. The songs go back to the
fifties with lyrics about shootouts with Federales, smuggling drugs and
murder or about revolutionary heroes like Pancho Villa or Emiliano Zapata.
It is not uncommon to hear these groups play in concerts with families
dancing to these types of lyrics. Now with THE DARKROOM FAMILIA releasing
the movie and soundtrack "PENITENTIARY CHANCES" on DOGDAY RECORDS, they
hope to finally open doors to their music to all rap fans nationwide. The
Darkroom Familia is a group of artists made up of rappers, producers,
photographers, movie producers, writers and promoters. Most of all they
are family, FAMILIA.